A Glimpse of Mi Vida...

It started with a missions trip to Camden, where my life and perspective were changed and where this blog began. Life has been a roller coaster filled with its ups and downs and I'm excited for the adventure and discovering what God has in store, even though I really dislike roller coasters... I am a Lady in Waiting...

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

A Picture Verses A Story

October 30, 2013

Having done missions work for more years than I ever thought
or dreamed of, one pet peeve of mine is the language we share once we’re home,
the pictures we share, and the stories or lack thereof that are told upon our
return.

I think processing a mission trip takes a lot of time, it is
in no way an overnight discovery of this is everything God taught me and this
is what’s next. I think an annoyance for me is the language we use about
missions. “It changed my life!” But your lifestyle or language does not reflect
that you have been changed for more than the week or month you’ve been home.
Have you really been changed? Myself included it is so easy to go back to
normal life in the states and to very quickly go back to our lifestyles of
spending money, wasting our time, involving ourselves in bad company, or forgetting
the things that God taught to us and revealed to us.

Do I rely on God as much in the states as I do in the
mission field? The things I once found appreciation in, do I still value them?
I know for me, when I return home after 10 weeks in Haiti… I value running
water and working power so much more. Do I remember to value those these or
conserve them in memory of my friends who have little? I know that I will watch
the money I spend, but how long does that last for? How often do we convene
with God once home? My hope is that as I have spent almost every morning
learning more and more about God, in bible study and prayer with our staff that
it has created not a habit, but a deeper relationship with God and wanting to
spend every morning learning from Him. As much time as I want to spend catching
up with friends once home, I hope and pray I spend just as much time catching
up with God and processing with Him.

I hope that we
challenge ourselves to live differently, not just because we’ve been on a
mission trip, but because God calls us to live differently, to be
uncomfortable. I am sure He did not mean only when you’re in the mission field.

Another annoyance of mine is the pictures that we share
about our experiences. As a photographer in the mission field, it is my job to
take photos. Photos are supposed to tell a story. There is the saying that they
are worth a thousand words; however I now believe that to be false. Do we know
the stories of those in the pictures that we take?

This is going to sound mean and harsh, but I honestly sit
back and wait for people who return from the mission field after a short-term
and I almost take bets with myself of who will post the first photo or change
their profile of all the great things they did in the field. Who will be first
to post that photo of them holding a precious and cute African, Haitian,
Peruvian, or any baby for that matter?

Do we know their stories though? I recall this summer a team
of people who came down to work in Haiti. I was already working with some children
as I had built relationships with them over previous visits, what was the first
thing they did? They greeted a cute child, picked them up and took a selfie.
Have you done it? I am sure I have. I feel bad for posting such photos now
unless I know and can share the story. Can you tell their story? Or do we take
photos of children whose name we don’t know, just to boast of “look at the work
I’m doing in this country”. Look at me and this cute baby!?

I want to
really challenge everyone, especially those hoping to continue doing short-term
missionary work, to truly invest in the ministry we do. To learn stories, take
names, and share because we want the world to know their story. Don’t share to
boast of how cute I look or how cute is this nameless child with chubby cheeks
in the slum or village I passed by. Invest… share the stories of Rescue,
Restore, and Redeem… the work God is
doing.

This is my precious Joshua from the Miriam Center. He has CP. He moves so quickly around the MC and nothing limits him as he is so joyful. He is ecstatic because one of the guys from Kimmy's House left his hat for Joshua to remember him buy. Every morning Joshua greets me with the warmest smile and wave, I have never seen him unhappy, he always a smile and the joy of the Lord. He is a constant blessing and reminder of oh sweet the Lord is.